Looking for a comforting healthy meal for those cold evening nights? How about an easy recipe to look forward to after your evening workout? How about a quick meal that you can feel great about when serving it to your family?
Nutrition facts of Orzo:
1/3 cup: 210 calories
Total Fat: 1g
Total Carb: 41g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 2g
Protein: 6g
What is Orzo?
Orzo is an Italian word meaning "barley". Orzo is commonly mistaken for rice, when in fact it is a rice-shaped pasta made of hard wheat semolina (purified middling of durum wheat used in making pasta). Orzo, which is very small compared to regular pasta, is found in soups, pilafs and casseroles and is also common in vegetarian dishes. Orzo is very popular in Greece and can be found in many Mediterranean dishes.
This is Karel's recipe so I give all credit to him. He makes this meal in the microwave but since I don't know how much water he uses, I will give you stove-top directions to save you from burning your orzo. Enjoy!
Easy Vegetable Orzo
2 quarts water
1 cup orzo
2 cans of your favorite low sodium chunky vegetable soup (rinsed and drained)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
Pepper
1. Heat water in a covered pot. When boiling, add orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 minutes OR follow directions on Orzo package.
2. Strain orzo and return orzo to pot. Stir in 1/2 tbsp olive oil.
3. Add garlic, dash of pepper and vegetable soups and heat on low to medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
4. Serve 1/3 cup vegetable orzo with your choice of lean meat or tofu.
*If you want to serve tofu with the orzo...
-pre-heat oven to 350-degrees. On a baking sheet, lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick spray place 1/2 container of firm tofu (cubed) on foil. Coat with a drizzle of olive oil and your choice of non-salt seasonings (paprika, pepper, cayenne, italian seasonings, etc.). After around 10-15 minutes (or when tofu is slightly golden), top with a sprinkle of Parmesan.
Here's Karel's recipe (microwaved version):
